Cuspidor.



J. R. ROBERTS.

GUSPIDOR.

' APPLIOATION FILED MAY 29, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Elm undo: J K- ROBERTS HE NORRIS PETERS cO..FHo1o-Ll1Ho, WASHlf-Lh SJ, r- F UNITED STATES rTnivT orricn.

JAMES B. ROBERTS, OF GOTTER, ARKANSAS CUSPIDOB.

Application filed May 29, 1914,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMEs It. BOBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cotter, in the county of Baxter and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cuspidors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to cuspidors, and more particularly to one of that type embodying means for sealing the entrance mouth of the cuspidor should the latter be upset, whereby escape of the contents of the vessel to the floor will be positively precluded.

The object of the invention is to provide an article of this character having a novel arrangement of mouth. closing valve, the same being so constructed and arranged, as while being of the greatest simplicity in construction, will be of the highest efficiency in securing the object for which it is designed and will not be liable to become injured under ordinary conditions of use.

A further object is to construct the body of the cuspidor in such a manner as to facilitate its cleansing when desired and also to permit removal of the valve for the same purpose.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of he invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts of a cuspidor, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a cuspidor constructed in accordance vith the present invention; Fig. 2 is a fragn'ientary detail View of a part of a modified form of cuspidor body.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the body of the ouspidor, which may be made of any suitable material, preferably of metal, and is herein shown as approximately heart shape in cross section. The upper or smaller end of the body is provided with an opening 2, the walls of which are threaded, and this opening is engaged by a mouth-piece 3 having a stop flange & to bear upon the upper edge of the body to limit the insertion of the mouth-piece. This mouth-piece is of truncated cone shape and is provided at its Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 841,867.

inner end with a valve seat 5 that is de signed to be engaged by a cone-shaped valve 6 carried by a stem 7 that works in a hollow standard 8 projecting upward from the center of the body. The shank does not occupy the entire length of the standard, but terminates some distance short of the bottom thereof, which latter is closed by a partition 9 through which passes a rod 10 that is threaded at its upper end in the lower end of the stem. Between the partition 2 and the under side of the stem is arranged a coiled spring 11, the normal tendency of which is to force the valve 6 upward and cause it to engage the valve seat 5, and thus sealthe mouth of the cuspidor. The lower end of the rod 10 is provided with a hook 12 that is engaged by a link 13 carried by one end of a lever 14: that is pivoted intermediate of its ends between a pair of ears 15 depending from the bottom of the receptacle, the'other end 16 of the lever being designed normally to rest upon the surface supporting the cuspidor, and thus hold the valve in retracted position against the tension of the spring 11. In order to provide space for the proper operation of the lever, or in other words, to allow it to swing through an are that will be suficient to permit the valve to seat itself, the bottom of the cuspidor is provided with an upstanding hollow cone-shaped boss 17 of which the standard 8 forms a continuation, and in this boss are arranged the lever and the lower end of the rod 10.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that when the cuspidor is in position for use, the end of the lever 16 will rest upon the fioor, and thus hold the valve out of engagement with the seat 5, but should the cuspidor be turned over accidentally, the instant the end 16 of the lever is free from contact with the floor, the spring 11 will eXert its function and thereby force the stem 7 and with it the valve 6 upward into engagement with the seat 5, and thereby positively preclude the escape of the contents of the cuspidor.

When the body is to be cleansed, the mouth-piece is unscrewed, and the valve is forced downward so as to permit the hook 12 to be disconnected from the link 13 and the rod 10 unthreaded from the valve stem, whereupon the valve and stem will be removed from the standard, to facilitate which the upper end of the valve is provided with V a knob 18. The reassemblage of the parts may be easily. accomplished, as will be obvious.

Under certain conditions, it may be desired to construct the body 1 in two sections, and this modification is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the upper section 19 of the body is provided with an outward and downward projecting flange 20 that is internally threaded to engage external threads on the lower section 21 of the body. The line of division between the two sections may be at any preferred point, and it will be seen by this arrangement that when the upper section is removed, both sections may be easily cleansed, as well as the valve.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that although the improvements herein set forth are simple in character, they will be thoroughly efiicient for the purposes designed, and will coact in the production of a practical and durable form of self sealing cuspidor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A cuspidor including a receptacle body of general spherical form having a convex base formed with a central upwardly projecting hollow cone shaped boss, and a hollow standard formed upon the apex of said base and constituting a continuation thereof, a horizontal partition Wall integrally connecting the hollow standard and the boss and provided with a central opening, a spring projected valve stem longitudinally movable in said standard and provided upon rod, and a valve seat member removably mounted in the top of the cuspidor' body,

upon which said conical valve member is seated, when the cuspidor is overturned, the engagement of the curved end of sald lever with the floor moving SillCl' lever to draw the valve stem downwardly and hold the valve member in its open position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I JAMES R. ROBERTS. Witnesses:

IRA V. BROWN, WV. M. HUNTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

